A quick poke around the internet will reveal two generally accepted meanings of the word ‘sexercise’: sometimes it’s used to describe the act of using sex as a workout, and sometimes it’s used to describe sex-specific exercises you can do to improve your love life and sexual health. Either way, it’s clearly a good thing, and a damned sight more fun than a trip to the gym!

Dildo or Dildon’t #16:

WTF is Sexercise & Why the Fuck You Should Care

There’s actually quite a lot of evidence that sex is a decent workout, and if you’re curious about just how decent there’s now a handy interactive calculator that goes into a remarkable amount of detail. PornHub have released their own workout app, which idea entertains me so much that I suspect I’m going to have to ask one of my partners to help me review it sometime (ahh, the perils of dating a writer).

Convinced yet? If you’re interested, there are a few things you might want to consider that claim to help your bed-based workout get to the next level. Some of them involve buying a new gadget or gizmo and some involve getting out and about - but most focus simply on connecting with your partner in fun new ways and trying some things you might not have done before.

1. Sexercise For Cardio

The core of most people’s workout routines is cardio, particularly if they’re focusing on exercise for weight loss. The good news is that sex is inherently a cardiovascular activity. It elevates the heart rate and often involves a lot of energetic repetitive movements, after all!

The real key, of course, is to move around as much as possible - change positions, try new things, have a laugh and enjoy yourselves while getting active together. If you’re after some more specific advice, however, I have a few tips...

You don’t necessarily have to be with a partner to enjoy a cardio workout during sex! The best way to get your heart racing by yourself is probably to invest in a couple of new sex toys. If you are in possession of a vagina and clitoris, there are some models designed to stay still while you do all the moving. The most famous of these is The Cone, which caused quite a sensation when it was first released and is still going strong today. They’re available all over the place, but for a decent deal in the UK you can pick one up from Harmony for £49.99.

Don't just lie there! Get up and fuck around!

Studies generally say that men burn more calories during sex than women do. There are a few reasons for this. On average people who identify as men are heavier than people who identify as women, for one thing - but my suspicion is that partly what they’re doing is assuming that the man is on top.

It’s clearly the case that being on top burns more calories than being underneath. A quick look at the calculator I linked to earlier can back me up on that! If you’re having PIV sex, what’s generally known as the ‘cowgirl’ position is a decent core workout if you put your back into it.

My years of going to BDSM clubs with both dancefloors and playrooms have taught me that there’s something wonderful about fucking to a beat so strong and deep you can feel it in the pit of your stomach. I always feel a bit self-conscious trying to recreate this at home. The idea that my partner might realize I’m moving to the music seems ridiculous to me somehow! It’s a good way to keep your speed up, which both feels good and makes for fantastic exercise.

2. Sexercise For Strength

Strength training is probably the most neglected aspect of many people’s workout routines. There’s an assumption that women don’t want to develop their muscles and a strange culture amongst many gym-going men that if you’re going to go for it at all you have to really dial it up to eleven. This is all bullshit, of course: a strength training program is enormously useful for almost everyone, and gives incredibly swift and rewarding results!

When you think about it, a lot of sexual positions contain elements of strength and endurance training. Imagine for a moment one person lifted off the ground with their legs wrapped around the other’s waist as they fuck - not only hot but also a good strength exercise for both parties! This principle extends to a few positions, particularly ones that involve one person being supported mostly by the other.

Your pelvic floor muscles need some training too! I’ve written before about my love of ben-wa balls and kegel exercisers; see here for some advice on the subject and here for links to a few of my favorite products.

3. Sexercise For Flexibility

When you think about it, a lot of sex is basically yoga. Sex is actually a great flexibility workout, and in many of the same ways that yoga is - particularly if you put a little thought into how to make that happen.

I’ve had a reasonable amount of personal success with this, as it happens - I am a great deal more flexible than I was before I began a relationship with someone who has a particular liking for some quite contorted positions! The first few times I was stiff for a couple of days afterward, but as the weeks passed I found it easier and easier - which benefit you too can enjoy, with a little work.

The key to using sex in this way tends to be to have a partner who understands how to support you in the right places. To experiment with different sexual positions till you find one that works well for you both and to maintain those positions for as long as you can before moving into something else. There’s no denying that this is a fun way to work out, and has some fringe benefits you simply won’t get from yoga!

Get fucking liberated!

There are a few sex aids on the market that are specifically designed to help you into positions you couldn’t otherwise manage - and it’s likely that repeated use of these aids will help you reach the point where you can maintain those positions alone. GoodVibes.com - which I’ve reviewed favorably for Fuck.com in the past - offers the entire Liberator range, and it’s known to be amongst the very best in sex position furniture.

Of course, there’s no need to invest in sex-specific aids if you aren’t sure that they’ll work for you! For far less money, you can pick up some ordinary yoga blocks and straps to get you going - they aren’t as versatile, but they can certainly help! While you’re at it, why not try out a few yoga poses as sex positions?

The Dear Abi Seal Of Approval

Bear in mind whatever you decide to do that it should be FUN - if you’re not enjoying it, do something else instead! I’m a big fan of kegel balls and I’ve had some success with sex to increase flexibility, but it’s important to keep your eye on the prize - and the prize, in this case, is a sex life that you and your partners enjoy immensely.

Abi Brown is a freelance writer and general pen-for-hire devoted to sexual deviancy, far-left politics and wearing too much jewelry. Find her at her website or on Twitter @see_abi_write.